Dr David Porter, Consultant Rheumatologist and Dr Michael Packer, Senior Research Scientist, have joined the Medical Kiwi Ltd team and will sit on the board as Directors, alongside co-founders Aldo Miccio and Peter Win.

David and Michael have vast knowledge and experience in their respective fields. Their appointments add to the strength of the team driving Medical Kiwi Ltd and demonstrates the company’s commitment to developing and producing highly effective, quality and safe medicines.

“David brings a wealth of experience to Medical Kiwi,” says Chairman, Aldo Miccio. “His work in the health service treating and working with patients with chronic pain will be vital to informing our medical research and development of well-being products.”

David has over 27 years’ experience in the medical profession. He is a Consultant Rheumatologist with a successful rheumatology practice in Nelson. Porter Rheumatology provides specialist medical advice to sufferers of debilitating auto-immune disorders and other conditions without an auto-immune basis, including fibromyalgia. As well as being a busy private rheumatology practice, David, as Principal Investigator, and his team are actively involved in clinical trial research investigating new rheumatology drugs, having taken part in 15 clinical trials to date.

“I’ve been prescribing medicinal cannabis for the past 12 months to over 100 patients. The changes that I’ve seen in their wellbeing and pain management have been head and shoulders above all the other drugs used for rheumatoid arthritis in terms of the lack of side effects, improvements to sleep and relaxation and pain relief,” says David.

Michael is a biochemist and natural products biotechnologist with a long and extensive track record of scientific research. With a career spanning 28 years, Michael is interested in reducing environmental impact and the optimal use of resources, in particular utilising algae to achieve this. How to farm algae for carbon recycling/capture, biofuel production, bio-based materials and for healthy food ingredients, bioactives, nutraceuticals and cosmetic ingredients has formed the basis of his research and professional specialty. As a Senior Research Scientist at the Cawthron Institute in Nelson, he manages an indoor algal growth facility and has been involved in establishing commercial algal farms for the biotech industry. His current work involves using custom-built bespoke photobioreactors which enables algal growth under controlled conditions. Previous research was commercialised in the United States of America and reached stage three clinical trials. Michael has joined the Medical Kiwi Ltd team as a Director to help guide the rigorous evidence-based development of natural products to benefit human health.

“Michael’s practical experience and successes give us a great platform to further research and develop solutions for health care issues that are controlled by the endocannabinoid system that cannabis has such a direct influence over,” says Aldo.

About Medical Kiwi:

Medical Kiwi Limited (MK) exists to pioneer the emerging medicinal cannabis industry in New Zealand, and enable the terminally ill and those in chronic pain with access to safe and effective medicinal cannabis.